The Braves christened their new ballpark on Friday during an exhibition game against the Yankees. Traffic issues notwithstanding, the park drew an estimated 21,392 fans, who were rewarded with an 8-5 win thanks to some late-game heroics from shortstop Jace Peterson.
The first home run in SunTrust Park history, however, came not from the Braves but from the bat of Yankees’ first baseman Greg Bird, who went deep in the third inning against Atlanta right-hander Bartolo Colon:
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The Braves responded in the bottom of the third when Freddie Freeman punished a 1-0 pitch from Michael Pineda for a three-run homer over the right field fence. They tacked on another five runs in the sixth, capitalizing on a fielding error and bases-loaded walk and adding a three-run double to overtake the Yankees, 8-5.
While the Braves may not have been the first to record a home run in their new ballpark, the rest of their performance looks like a good omen as the team heads into the 2017 season. They’re scheduled to make their official season debut in the park on April 14 against the Padres.
